FCB Nyasa Big Bullets head coach Kalisto Pasuwa provided his thoughts following the 2-0 defeat away to Red Arrows at the National Heroes Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Bullets exited the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League after the Zambian champions scored two second-half goals to progress to the second preliminary round with a 3-2 goal aggregate.
The People’s Team conceded through a questionable penalty converted by Red Arrows captain Saddam Yusuf Phiri in the 65th minute before Paul Katema completed the scoring 20 minutes later.
In his post-match interview, Pasuwa questioned some of the decisions that went against his side throughout the match, describing the defeat as “unjust”.
“We have bowed out of the Champions League, but maybe at times, we need to have fair play in football, and yes, we played Red Arrows, who were playing good football, attacking football in the first half, but we could take them head-on.
“However, we were never given some fouls which were given to our opponents, and then the game was decided by something else besides football, which is not good in Champions League football, and let’s allow a better team on the day win. We know we were missing chances, but again, let us miss those chances and lose the game fairly, not what has happened today,” he reacted.
However, the Zimbabwean described the Airmen as a good team, which played well-structured football.
“They played very well. They were in our half, especially in the second half of the game, as they were in our attacking third, and they won the game, so congratulations to them.”
On his defensive approach to the game, in which he had a one-goal advantage going into the away tie, Pasuwa said: “As a coach at times, you end up clueless and you think you are doing well and the game is decided the way it has been decided.
“Yes, we had some moments where most of the time we were pressing them in the defending third and we were containing them and we wanted to punish them on the break and we did very well but, unfortunately in the second half, we ended up being conceding that penalty that demoralized my players.”
Pasuwa was also asked if he thought the defeat was due to the congested fixtures that saw his side facing Red Arrows in the first leg and three days later, playing Moyale Barracks in the semis of the FDH Bank Cup, hours before flying to Lusaka.
“For us to play these games, we agreed to play. We couldn’t play games and then blame FAM, but I am saying these are bodies [and] they need recoveries, and these are high-intensity games. Playing on Sunday and again on Wednesday, players get tired as well,” explained the Bullets gaffer.
The People’s Team will return to Malawi on Sunday and will get straight to business with a home TNM Super League match against Creck Sporting Club on Wednesday at Kamuzu Stadium, before travelling to Lilongwe for the FDH Bank Cup final against Blue Eagles on the first day of next month.
